Abia Gov. Alex Otti says he will neither become a political godfather nor impose his successor on the state after completing his second tenure in 2031.
Otti spoke on Thursday in Umuahia while receiving former Social Democratic Party governorship candidate, Mrs Ngozi Johnson-Chukwunenye, and her supporters into the Labour Party (LP).
He said leadership succession should be based on identifying the most suitable person for the job rather than perpetuating a “sit-tight” culture.
“I don’t want to be a godfather and I don’t tolerate godfathers.
“We will all sit down, look at everybody and say, who is the best person for this job and then all of us will agree and we will campaign for him.
“He will win and we will take a back seat.”
Otti also reiterated his earlier stance that he would not seek another elective position after completing his second tenure.
He said his administration was focused on providing good governance and creating an environment where younger people could emerge as capable leaders.
“We should stop this sit-tight. It’s only you. It can’t be only you.
“There are smarter, more trained, better-trained, better-equipped younger people; our children. We need to give them opportunity,” he said.
Otti said his administration was already preparing younger people to take over leadership responsibilities through initiatives including the Abia Leadership Academy.
He said more than 1,080 young people between the ages of 16 and 25 had recently graduated from the academy.
The governor also said efforts to improve governance and infrastructure would continue despite criticism, adding that development could not be achieved in one day.
He said his administration had prioritised the restoration of Aba and Umuahia before extending interventions to other parts of the state.
“We are now moving into the hinterlands, and we will continue until we reach everywhere; so nothing will stop us,” he said.
He thanked Johnson-Chukwunenye for joining the party and for remembering less privileged children, including pupils from the School for the Blind.
In his remarks, the Labour Party National Vice-Chairman, Southeast, Mr Ishmael Onuoha, said the party was committed to the masses and hope for Nigerians.
The LP Chairman in Abia, Mr Peter Azubuike, said the party was ready for the 2027 elections and urged members to prepare for polling-unit-based campaigns and effective grassroots mobilisation.
Johnson-Chukwunenye said she had closely followed the Otti administration and was convinced by its efforts to clean, light up and restore dignity to Abia.
She said she decided to support Otti’s second-term bid because she believed his administration’s policies aligned with her vision of a government that remembers the poor and promotes equity.
She also called for legislation on “continuity and completion” to ensure that successive administrations continued projects inherited from previous governments.
